What a couple weeks has been a couple weeks since we met here
on a Friday night. Feels like two years.
Well, we're still in second Samuel.
Nothing has changed. We're still in that Infamous
chapter of second Samuel. So let's go there together and
second Samuel in Chapter 11. Second Samuel, 11.
And Lord, we do ask that you would bless this time in your
word and that there would be a sense of your nearness and our
hearts would come alive a fresh in you.
Oh Lord. We are in continual need of your
Restorative mercies and we pray that you would restore our
passion for you. And that you would take it to
new heights. Lord, you would open up our
appetite again, for righteousness, for wisdom, for
the knowledge of our God. And so Lord, may this be a time
where we sense the leading of the Holy Spirit?
Even now, as we come to this word, we pray that you would
speak. So specifically into each of our
lives. And so Lord, we just pray that
you would shatter all distraction.
All unbelief, anything that would be an obstacle to your
word, having its way in our very lives.
We trust in you Lord, we thank you for a house on a Friday
night that is eager to be in your presence.
We bless you for that in Jesus name.
Amen. The final words of our last
Bible study, which was about three weeks ago, Were the
dramatic heart-stopping words of a woman named Bathsheba who
declared very simply. I am pregnant.
Now, usually, that news is a company by joy and excitement,
but not in this case. This woman who gave this report,
gave it to not her husband, but to another man, and we know from
our study in the beginning of second, Samuel, 11 to that man
was King David. The nation's leader, the nation
psalmist, the man after God's heart.
And why is David receiving the news of uriah's wife's
pregnancy? And the answer is very simple
because he is the father Undeniably he is the father of
this child. And when you think about that
alone, you realize that the evolvement of these events is
really a picture of house in evolves in our lives.
You see, this was just a secret night of passion between two
people and now it is morphed into a scandal that could easily
make national news and put so many people to shame.
And sin, the DNA of our iniquity.
When it is conceived, does not stay in that embryo stage, it
will grow, it will continue to grow and the direction of its
growth is domination. It wants to dominate your life.
It does not just want to stay in a nice little corner where you
can visit it from time to time. It wants to own the house and
from there it also wants to bring as much destruction as
possible in your life. James tells us that When sin is
Sieve, that doesn't stay there. It wants to bring forth death.
And if it's not dealt with early on, you would be amazed to know
what once in can do to a life, what it can do to a marriage,
what it can do to your finances, what it can do to your body, how
we can prematurely bring death and Untold measures this is why
God put this in our Bible. So that what we see in David's
life at this point, would burn in our memory so that we would
never ever, ever for a moment. Think that we are impervious to.
^ sin, scripture warns us if anyone thinks he stands.
Now pause, if you're in this place sitting excited because
you realize you have a desire to be here on a Friday night, look
how holy you are. Look how look all close.
You are to the Lord. The Bible says, if you think you
stand, let that person take heed.
Lest he falls in other words, when you're doing just right,
that's when you should be the most cautious and David, Really
did not take heed and we're going to see what he's going to
do with this news because you and I heard a few Bible studies
ago that there are only only only two options when any of us
are caught in any transgression. Do you remember those two
options? To they both start with the
letter c that helps. Confess it confess it.
Yes. What's the other one conceal it
very good. Those are really the only two
options that you and I have, when we are in a pit, we either
confess and along confess, repent of that sin or we conceal
and oftentimes continue. In that sin.
David has those two choices when this report comes to his front
step. And unfortunately, he will
choose the latter. He will choose to conceal it.
And because he will conceal it. The rest of this chapter is
going to explain what will happen.
Here's the thing, the reason why we are so tempted to be
magnetized towards concealing, our sin is because the path of
concealment seems to promise the least pain.
Right. The least pain of Shame of
hurting others of hurting our ministries of hurting our
reputation. That's why we concealed, there
is a false promise of an easier way of Escape.
When we choose to hide and put our sin in the dark instead of
coming clean before the Lord and before people that need to know
about that sin and say I need to, I need to turn, I need the
Lord to help me. Can you help me?
David's not going to do that. And what we're going to see is
the outcome of his concealment, it's going to really be a study
of the devastation that comes when you and I choose to not do
it God's way when it comes even to our failures.
And again, let me say this, I hope that the imagery that will
be brought before you today will be something that you will hold
on to. So that you would never ever
ever trust in human wisdom when it comes to your sanctification.
I thought we were going to finish this chapter, there's
just no way unless we just really do an injustice to this
text. So here's what I'm going to do.
I'm going to read from verse 6, down to verse 13, you're going
to follow with me in your Bible and then I'm going to ask you
what stands out to you in our part. 2 of second, Samuel 11.
And let's see, where the spirit leads us.
Remember the last three words? That drop the curtain on our
last Bible. Study was I am pregnant.
Now we come to verse 6. So David sent word to joab.
Send me Uriah the hittite and job sent Uriah to David and
Uriah caned. Him?
David asked how job was doing, and how the people were doing
and how the war was going. Then David said, to her I ago
down to your house and wash your feet.
Uriah went out of the King's house and there followed him a
present from the King. But Uriah slept at the door of
the King's house, with all the Servants of his Lord, and did
not go down to his house. When they told David, Uriah did
not go down to his house, David said, to Uriah, have you not
come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your
house? Your eyes said to David, The
Arc, and Israel, and Judah, dwell in booths, and my Lord
Zhao have in the Servants of my Lord are camping in the open
field, shall I then? Go to my house to eat and to
drink and to lie with my wife, as you live and as your soul
lives, I will not do this thing. Then David said to Uriah remain
here today also. And tomorrow, I'll send you back
So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next and David
invited him and he ate in his presence and drank so that he
made him drunk. And in the evening, he went out
to lie on his couch with the Servants of his Lord.
But he did not go down to his house.
Whoever says, the Bible is boring.
Shame on you. How can you say that this is
riveting. I've always said, if had the
budget, I would totally make either a movie or a series on
some kind of channel of the life of David.
This is, this is fascinating. Well, what sticks out to you
from these verses that we read today, anything?
What a contrasting character this menu Riya has to David.
He will not budge. I'm committed to the mission
that God has called me to you. I'm committed to my God, he he
just can't move from that place. Absolutely.
Yes. David
Again, that's a great observation, the contrast
between David and Uriah David stayed home during the war,
Uriah would not go home because of that same War.
Not amazing. Interesting.
Yes. Anything else.
Deception. Very good observation.
There is deception a lot of it and it is unfortunate.
Yes, John got him drunk. It's a very nasty strategy but
it's a very common one. Yes.
Anything else? He made him get comfortable as
much as possible. And comfort did not make him
waiver. Yes.
Exactly. So David's influence is to bring
him to the same level of where he was at at this point in his
life. Yes.
Yeah, that could be true or is David wanting Uriah to go home
to cover his tracks? Oh yeah, interesting.
Yes. Very good reputation and Status
does not equal character. Absolutely, Very good.
Well, shall we continue? Let's look at verse 6.
So David sent word to joab. Send me Uriah.
The hittite strange request and jobs sent Uriah to David.
Now, right there in that verse you, and I have an idea of the
great power and the great Authority.
That David possess this man, by one word can tell somebody to go
tell somebody to come, No questions asked, and no reasons
to give any answers to his commands.
This is the jurisdiction. This is the kind of position
that David possess and it was granted by God.
In fact, you're going to realize very soon that David had such
overwhelming Authority that by the word of his mouth.
He can determine whether a man lived or died.
And again this is an awesome thing that the Lord permitted
and you know the the well-known saying with great power comes
what great responsibility. Let me add to that.
With great power comes great temptation.
Great Temptation the temptation of those who hold any kind of
position of influence is to abuse that power in order to
satisfy selfish feets. Even at the expense of those who
trust that you are operating in integrity.
And so David here, he's done much good as a king but you're
seeing something in him here that you don't really see on
this level when he was a servant.
When he was a servant, he was very cautious.
He had a very soft conscience here.
Now, as a king, I believe a great part in What tempted him
was his ability to remove or Escape or to get rid of things
that might make him look bad. And so I want to just say this
right off the gate, if your person who craves position,
craves titles, crave status, you have no idea what you're getting
yourself into. I actually believe that the Lord
concerning his children doesn't bless them.
This might take a shot at the Prosperity Gospel, but good
doesn't give the same amount even of success.
In terms of monetary gain, because he knows as a father
that this will destroy this person.
God gives Grace to callings, right?
And if you don't have that Grace and you can actually be destroys
enough trouble. Even operating and what God's
called you to do, even if he's giving you the grace, never
mind. Trying to explore something that
doesn't belong to you or that you can't handle.
And so we see here that David is operating with a power and
that's giving us a set up to what he's going to do with that
power. Now, here's what's fascinating.
What I thought about when I came to?
This was Moses was told when he was the only only really judge
of Israel to hire or to raise up more judges to be able to lead
the nation of Israel and his father-in-law comes on the scene
and gives him. Gives him a list of qualities
can to consider for the future Prospect of Israel's leaders.
Does anybody remember one of the main features that Moses should
look for concerning a man who would judge the nation?
If you want to reference its Exodus 18:21, I'll read it to
you and you can mark it if you want.
But listen to these words when Moses was advised, here's the
type of people that you want in different spheres of power who
overlooked the responsibility of shepherding people.
Here's what I want you to find in people, he says in Exodus
18:21. Moreover, look for able men, so
there's ability from all the people men who fear God, Men who
fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe.
And place such men over the people, as Chiefs of thousands,
that's one sphere of hundreds, that's another of 50s and of
tens. So, whether it's 10 or 1000,
what you need to find, Moses is men who fear God.
Now, listen, this is not a very exhaustive list for a resume and
I think that's by Divine Design. Here's why.
Because if you can find somebody who fears God, you don't need to
really look for much else. If you can find a person who
fears the Lord, you don't really have to look for anything else.
Because a man who fears, God Is So preoccupied with their
behavior with their decisions, both public and secret, doing
everything before the Divine much more, much more of a
concern than their reputation before mere mortals.
A man who fears, God has a sense that he is accountable.
And he is responsible for the almighty before.
Anything else. He realizes that God is the one
who dictates his own life and his motivation to please.
God is so strong. Listen, he says those who are
trustworthy and hate a bribe, I believe those are the byproducts
of fearing. God, when you fear God, you are
trustworthy when you're when you fear, God no amount of threat or
no amount of invitation. No matter of Temptation will
sway you, your rock solid because You live before God, you
don't live before a price tag. You don't live before the
threats of men who are dependent upon every breath, granted by
the very God, that you fear. And so, we see here that men who
fear God woman, who fear God is a wonderful quality you have and
you don't need much else to ensure.
Listen to this humility and Justice in high ranks.
Now, if that is true, and I thought about that in my study,
I asked this question. Well isn't David a man who
fears? God When we all agree, that
David was a man who feared God. Absolutely.
So if that is the case, if the great antidote is to fear the
lord, then how do we explain David's Behavior at this point?
How do we explain his conflicting convictions and all
God is good. A verse that I've read in the
Book of Proverbs shot into my mind and I didn't remember the
reference not to pull out of my Bible, not to look into the
pages and I found it but you glad I found it.
It will really help if you have the ESV, if you don't, I'll
explain but it's in Proverbs 2814.
And that's a verse that I'm going to invite you to turn to
and Proverbs 28 14. We read something very
insightful in light of the fear of God, the application of the
fear of God. Proverbs 28 verse 14.
Reads blessed is the one who fears the Lord.
When always But whoever hardens his heart will fall into
Calamity. Now, the Hebrew does not include
who fears the Lord. It just has who fears or who is
always reverent. And I believe the translators of
the ESV included the Lord. Because when you consider the
entire consensus of the Bible, there is no fear that the Bible
encourages you. And I to have unless it's a fear
towards God. And unless it's a fear towards
the authority that God has appointed.
And so, I think that's okay. Your to understand.
This verse says, blessed is the man who fears the lord always,
and the key word in this verse is what always adult time in all
circumstances, in all contexts fear, God always, which tells me
it's possible to fear God sometimes In some places before
some people wink, wink pastures. In some areas, wink week, like
in a place where we're at tonight.
If you think that this verse is hard to understand, it's very,
very simple. I'll prove it to you.
How easy is it for us to switch on?
Reverence, for God, when we walk into a sacred place like this,
but when we switch to write off, when we go into a place, like
our living room, we know how to switch on and off the fear of
the Lord. I've seen heathens do it.
I've seen heathens cuss and do all these things, and once they
come to an ancient Church in some historical site, then
realize we're going into a church building.
Oh, let's just be quiet. People know how to turn this
thing on and off, huh? And the Bible says, no fear.
God always when you're alone, when with your friends.
When you're with your spouse, when you're not with your
spouse, when you're on the business trip, when you're on
the family trip, fear God all the time.
And that will ensure you great protection and Grace at all
times. And David unfortunately did not
take heat to this proverb, and you would reap the Sorrows of
it. So you, and I have to make a
conscious decision. There has to be a discipline
where we live in light of the presence of the All-Seeing
all-knowing. God everywhere everywhere.
So, when you go on vacation right in the summertime, when
you go on vacation, this winter, you're not taking a vacation
from God. See what I'm saying.
You're not not spiritual there and then you come back and you
get spiritual again. That doesn't work.
That's not going to get you blessing.
That's going to get you in trouble.
It's gonna get you in trouble. Wherever I go, God, is with me.
Hey, you're gonna invite me over to house, Guess who's coming?
Jesus? I'm not going to be somebody
different from the pulp and off the public.
Jesus is coming with me. So if you want me to come, Jesus
is coming along, I hope you have an extra seat.
I hope every believer has that caliber of faith that that's
what's going to make us holy and strong and bear consistency for
the glory of Jesus Christ. So we see that.
David then if you're God here, he let it go.
He brought it down and it would cost them much.
Now we read in verse 7, when you ride came to him, David asks how
job was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was
going. This verse infuriates me, It
infuriates me. I don't know about you because
we heard it from our sister. Here's a man who summons a
faithful servant into his presence who organizes this
meeting disappointment. And he pretends to be concerned
about this war and he makes inquiries for clarification.
Listen, David. If you were so concerned about
the war, why aren't you there? So here's a man who just coats
his his words and his heart by pretending to make this about
some kind of evaluation of a war.
When in reality it was a scheme. It was a scheme to make you
write unsuspicious of an Allure meant to bring him into his home
after a journey being away from his wife and to hopefully see
his wife and him come together and to enjoy their rights.
Rights within the confines of marriage.
And cover the tracks of adultery.
That's what this man is doing. And when I looked at this, how
he has Joe, how's job doing it. How are the people doing?
And this is deception. And here's the point that I want
to make in light of our theme tonight that when you and I
choose to conceal our sin when we choose to hide it and not
repent of it and not confess it to those who need to know about
it. The adoption of deception is
guaranteed. You will become a liar, you will
you lie to yourself, you lie to your friends, you'll lie to your
parents, you'll lie to your pastors, and here's what happens
when a person conceals their sin.
When there's something going on, that people are not aware of,
you learn to play pretend And you pretend like everything is
okay. When in fact, it's not and
that's exactly what this man is doing.
And it's a sad single thing to see because it only adds to the
pain when it will be exposed notice.
I said, when not, if it will be exposed, God loves his children,
too much to leave us in our sin and to think that we can succeed
in concealing it. In love God exposes so that we
can receive the healing and the grace and the restoration that
we need, and he will not be mocked additionally.
Its, this is very painful to see because when we refuse to
confess our sin, what we also do is Rob ourselves of the grace
and the guidance that we can receive from those who will are
willing to embrace us in our sin, And say, look I admire your
humility look, we got to learn to be a people.
God forbid, that we would be caught in sin, but we need to be
a people who learn how to confess before were caught.
Don't wait till it's exposed and then you, you confess.
Again, God forbid, I want to Echo the words of John.
If anyone is in any transgression, if not, when if
Just deal with it, immediately deal with that as soon as
possible come to the lightest quickly as you can because it's
going to happen, you're going to see that, no matter how clever
you and I are God knows how to pull the sheets.
And they were you are right? And we only add to the problem.
You only add to the issues when we do things like lie and sadly.
The deception only continues in verse 8 because now he
encourages Uriah you can says hey why don't you go down to
your house and wash your feet and other while in other words,
Stay Awhile. Wash your feet.
Relax, kick back, hang out. I'm giving you a leave of
absence. I'm letting you be removed from
the war so that you can spend time at your house and then, you
know what he does, he gives him a gift, the king sends Uriah
with a gift. So that when you ride comes with
this great honor from the King, it would put him and his wife in
good spirits. Right.
And make them just feel honored and excited.
And we just only add to the possibility of them.
Embracing embracing one another. And that's, that's quite
insightful. Because when those who are in
sin, when those who are concealing sin in their lives,
they don't just don't just apply the facade, that all is well.
They do more than that. Sometimes they add to that.
A layer of a presentation of Charity and goodness and
kindness to try to fool others. Right.
And so what happens is you put on another level of a show
especially to those who you really don't want to know about
what is going on. And it's a false sense of
fruitfulness. And so, We do what we're told
and we serve in our Ministries and we even sometimes go the
extra mile and be and be extra nice and what we're trying to do
is the same thing we've been trying to do in the beginning.
Just fig leaves covering our shame and think that we can
mislead God and mislead others so that they don't see our
nakedness. They just see what we are able
to produce when in fact we're trying to bury ourselves Under
some kind of form of distraction.
Even if that distraction is some kind of public display of
righteousness, People do I did you see how I love the Bible?
I love the Bible because I can't think of any other book in the
world that has surgical Precision in determining and
explaining human behavior. It's incredible.
No other book can expose the depths of the evil of the human
heart. I mean, this is an ancient story
from hundreds and thousands of years ago and yet we still see
the same patterns being repeated and 2023.
Because we're all infected with Adam, sinned curse and fall.
So he does that it's go, here's a gift, enjoy yourself.
And the sad verse that, we just read is now juxtaposed with an
inspiring one. We just saw it when we read it
together verse 9, but Uriah slept at the door of the King's
house, with all the Servants of his Lord and did not go down to
his house. You've been away from home for
so long. Even been, given a green light
from your boss that you can now go home and you can see your
wife and you can go into your comfortable room.
And this man. Refuses.
You're going to see why in a couple of verses, but right from
here, we realize that he upheld righteous conviction, even
listen above comfort and gratification.
That's what makes a real Soldier and you and I are called to be
soldiers in the faith. According to second Timothy, The
sense of Duty and Mission taking primary place above, what can
satisfy you. That's what makes Christians
effective here. We see this man, who exemplifies
that? And you would think you would
think that this level of character this level of
character from Uriah one of David's, boys.
One of the guys that he's raised up and use and worked with.
You would think that would move the heart of the man after God's
heart, but it doesn't. Now only does it not move him?
You ready for this? It bothers him.
It bothers him to the point of verbal criticism.
So he hears you Ryan didn't go home.
So he brings you right in again, and then he says something to
him in verse 10. He says Have you not come from a
journey? Why did you not go down to your
house? He was disturbed by this.
Why, here's why you ready for this?
Because those who choose to walk in the flesh.
Cannot tolerate. Those who walk in the spirit.
They can't those who choose to walk in the flesh.
Cannot tolerate those who walk in the spirit.
And this is a reminder and an example that the presence of men
and women, who have principal, who really have principal, who
really walk with this level of Devotion to God.
Irritate people who want to send comfortably.
They do. And the reason is because their
very presence and their habits and their convictions expose
those who like, David want to play both roles and they do it
unintentionally, like, Uriah is not trying to expose David your
eyes, just Uriah and here's David just agitated by the fact
that Uriah will not succumb to the very same level of
compromise that he gave himself to And so he's disturb, you know
what he's going to do then we're going to see in a very real way.
He's going to push Uriah away and want nothing to do with him.
Instead of praising somebody for for displaying such an example
of righteousness you know, that's why some people don't go
don't go to a Bible preaching Church, understand that that's
why some people will not come to a Bible preaching church because
the words that are being spoken, even though that person doesn't
know what's going on, that person's life for the people in
that church. Don't know what's going on.
That person life, they have a tendency not just their words
but their life to make that person uncomfortable.
Because they want to be comfortable and their sin and so
they avoid it, they avoid it. And I'm sure the news of Uriah
sleeping outside instead of going into his home into his own
bed. Struck, David Soul.
Because as you heard here is a king, you ready for this, a king
who refused to go to war so that he can stay at home.
And now, here is an inferior who refuses to go home because of
that war This man is just shook. And this is not just speaking
about unbeliever to the believer.
I'm talking about those who profess godliness, but they want
to embrace worldliness at the same time.
They can't stand people who live for the glory of God or concert,
they can't do it. In fact, sometimes they will go
to the extent of joining, the disapproval of the world, and
criticize, those who are truly, holy, David David, David?
So, what happens? Unlike the king who gave in to
Temptation your eye doesn't, and that's quite remarkable.
You know why? Because David was not just a
leader, David was an Israelite. How are we introduced to Uriah
in verse 3 of this chapter? Go back and see it just right
there, Uriah the hittite. And then in verse 6, The Holy
Spirit repeats it, Uriah, the hittite, where Hittites Jews,
they were not native born Jews. They were a part of that
Collective group, who occupied the promised land?
Before Joshua's Conquest, you know what the holy spirit is
trying to tell us about Uriah. He was once a pagan worshipper
and now he converted and now is worshipping the true Living God.
Think about that. Now that just adds to the sting
of this whole thing here, is a man who worshipped false gods,
became a proselyte who changed and repented and joined himself
to the true and living God. And he is towering and
comparison to David in terms of his ambition, to glorify the
Lord. despite his background, we see that this man is in
comparison outshining to a person who was and Israelite and
we see here that Uriah gives his explanation to why he would not
go home. You read it, but let's see it
again in verse 11, your eyes said to David, The Ark in Israel
and Judah dwell in booths. My Lord job in the service of my
Lord, I camping in the open field.
Here's translation. How is it that the Ark of God,
which dwells in a tent? And my people, my fellow
warriors were out in the fields, dwelling in their tents and War.
How is it that these Things. And these people exposed to
danger and threats, Well, I would entertain comfort and
gratification may it never be, may it never be and what I love
is you ride the first thing that comes to his mouth as what they
are. God God that's the first thing.
The Forefront of his mind is explanation is the Lord.
This man had God in his mind. First God in his explanation.
First God it's centered around the Lord.
And second to that was the mission that he was called to.
This is a mission that I'm called to and there's something
deeper here, right? Do you remember what David said
to a? He Malik the priest when he was
initially running from Saul and he was asking for some food.
What did I? Hey, Malik asked if him and his
men were. What were you guys are U, guys.
Holy, are you guys consecrated? And you remember, David's
response, go to First. Samuel quickly.
I want you to see this in verse 5 of chapter 21.
Look at David's. Explanation.
I believe it helps explain uriah's decision and first
Samuel 21 verse 5. First Samuel 21:5.
And David answered the priest truly woman have been kept from
us. As always, when I go on an
expedition, the vessels of the young men are wholly even when
it is an ordinary Journey. How much more today whether
vessels are. Holy, here's what I see from
this apparently in David's Squad, when it came to his
military, there was a code of conduct.
And one of the code of conducts was that when they were on a
military Expedition that they were to keep themselves from
engaging in relations with women, what's wrong with
engaging with women? Well, I think what helps is and
you don't have to turn there when you go to Leviticus right,
you see in chapter 15 that there are instructions, given to those
who give themselves a sexual relations and it, and it, it
provides ceremonial obstacles that can bring a hindrance to
the effectiveness of their expeditions as they are serving
in war. Does that make sense?
They're all these things that you have to observe and do if
you do engage in relations in such a way.
So it's just a, it's just better, not sinful, just more
helpful to refrain from such things so that you can be more
focused and alert and given to the task at hand.
All Uriah is doing is practicing the protocol that I believe he
was discipled into having David as a leader.
Perhaps that's the reason why Uriah comes so strong with his
answer. Maybe it was shocked by the fact
that David even question him not going home, this is your thing,
this is what we do. And what I love here is that
Uriah and some sense gives us another illustration of a
Christian principle. One that Paul the Apostle taught
to the church and teaches us today from First Corinthians,
you don't have to turn there and First Corinthians in a very
well-known passage in chapter 6, verse 12, he says all things are
lawful for me, but what not all. Things are helpful.
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.
That's the standard of Christianity that Paul wants to
bring us to by the spirit. It's not just to look at
something and say, is this inherently illegitimate is this
evil? Is this out of bounds?
Is this wrong? Paul wants you to ask another
question, is it helpful? Is it helpful?
Is it helpful to the season of life that I'm in?
Is it helpful and me becoming more fervent and passion for the
Lord. Is it helpful?
When you begin to ask those questions, I assure you, you
will put a stress on the muscles of the spirit in a way where you
will see growth like you've never seen before.
Is it helpful not just? Is it sinful?
Does it help me run faster longer or does it create wait in
my life that hinders me from being all that I can be in Jesus
Christ? I want to tell you something,
personally in the seasons and I hope that God would keep me
asking these questions, but in the seasons where I've been most
intentional about, is it helpful?
Alive scene. The most I've experienced the
most in God, and here's the thing, that's the reward of
answering that question is that there is more in him, is more in
him and he Syria doing it. There's nothing wrong with being
with his wife, there's nothing wrong.
Suspect, the king even gave you permission and yet he's so
focused on the assignment that he's been called to.
He's so caught up in fulfilling the call that he has been called
to that. He goes, yeah, it's fine.
But at this time, I'm not going to engage in that.
What a soldier, what a soldier. So much of our devotion is
determined by whether it's comfortable, whether it's nice,
what, go beyond that and watch what God can do through your
life. You're right here is really,
really putting David to shame. And what is David going to do?
Once he hears This, I Believe In This Moment.
You know what's happening? Providence is happening?
I believe that this is a very providential moment for David
because, you know, what happens, the initial plan didn't work, it
didn't come to fruition. He wanted to bring Uriah into
that house, Uriah wouldn't. And on top of that, look at you
riyaz words. He's so clear in his explanation
to why he won't go in the second part of verse 11.
Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with
my wife? You would think you would think
that, after saying to lie with my way, he didn't have to say
that, but he does unknowingly. Now, you have some people that
believe you ready for this? That Uriah was suspicious, I'm
not in that camp, but you have some people who believe that you
write actually is figuring things out.
He's look, you know, when somebody is acting very weird
and you're putting the pieces together, I'm away.
Why did you want me to go home so badly?
Some believe that Uriah is sniffing something.
Now, if you believe that, that's fine, I don't hold to that.
I just believe that this man is just brimming with conviction
and it's just shooting out of him like arrows.
And here's David, he hears it right to lie with my wife.
And you would think that the alarm would go off.
You would think in light of the failure of his attempt and the
reminder, the reminder that here is a man, you ready for this?
Here's a man who would not engage in his rights as a
husband. As someone who entertain
something that was not my right. Do you think that would stop him
in his tracks? You would think that he would
put the charade down and come clean.
This is God's Providence. This is God.
I believe getting David to stop and confess before he sends a
prophet to say you are the man. And I believe, when we are in
sin, when any man of God, woman of God isn't sin, God will do so
much before he exposes them. He'll he'll send warnings in
different ways and, you know, some of these big-name guys that
if they're that they fall and becomes a scandal, you think
that just God does that right away.
I believe there's so many warnings beforehand and then he
exposes them. Here's this man.
He has an opportunity, but the the example of his stubbornness
is really a commentary on our own because how many of us
rarely are able to detect when God is inviting us, or warning
us when we are in sin, How many of us are able to detect that
God is able to communicate more than just a supernatural
Revelation, being given to somebody say, you're in sin, get
up. You do, you have to see beyond
that? He gives, gentle nudges.
He pulls on you in different ways and here it is.
And here's the scary part, some fail to detect it.
Others who are able to see, you know, this is something for me.
God is trying to get my attention and they brush it off.
They brush it off as just coincidental, they ignore it,
and they dig their heels in the ground, and they make a greater
bolt towards the Rebellion. It's scary.
Scary. God will give you a sermon
before he exposes God will have somebody call you go.
I'll have somebody text you saying brother.
I don't know what's going on in your life, but I'm, I'm just
praying for you. Listen, this is not just a point
inside of there. I've seen it.
It's scary.
God is real. God is very, very real.
And if there is, there is a list of evidences of the realness of
God in my own life, as I observed throughout Ministry,
it's how God is able to get someone's attention, while
they're in sin. It's incredible.
That's how much love he has for
his children. David doesn't take heed.
He doesn't listen to the shepherd, is trying to rescue
him. And pull him out of this pit.
So what does he do? Verse 12, then David said to
your I remain here today also in tomorrow and I'll send you back
It's sad for me to say this, but what David is doing here?
Is just an example of what the tempter does to us.
What's Happening Here? Stay in the premises.
He just finished saying, I want to be there.
I want to be at the war where I'm supposed to be, and you
know, what? David says, just stay a little
bit longer, stay a little bit longer and here's the strategy.
Perhaps if you stay long enough, you'll change your mind.
Perhaps if you stay in close proximity to your house which
isn't far from the palace. How do we know that?
Because you're right because David was on the roof and he saw
Bathsheba bathing. So I mean it doesn't have
binocular vision. Must be very close, Uriah
obviously knows that just a few steps away from that Palace.
So, David tells Uriah just stay a little bit longer and here's
the plan, maybe you'll crack. And maybe you'll give in, and
maybe you'll change your mind and maybe you can cover the
tracks. So just stay You know, the
temperature of our souls. Does not give up easily to
entice us. He has many tricks in his bag.
He'll try one thing, and when it doesn't work, he'll try another.
He'll come at one angle. When that doesn't succeed, he'll
come at another angle, and then he'll revisit that initial angle
that didn't work. He's very, very tricky.
We see it with the master in the wilderness.
First thing that Satan does is point to some rocks and bring
attention to Jesus hunger. That didn't work.
So he takes a verse out of context and he tries to tempted
to do something silly. Try to get the 10 God and that
doesn't work. So he then he shows him the
world and he tries to get him to worship Him.
And then when that didn't work, he says that he left for another
opportune time, until another opportune time here, David in a
very human way, is exemplifying how Satan operates in our own
lives. The thing that you said, no to a
few weeks ago, he'll reintroduce into your life today.
Even years ago, even years ago, that thing hasn't been in your
life for years. You haven't watched it in years,
you haven't tasted it in so long and an offer.
A sudden here he comes, especially when you're at your
weakest. You remember this?
Remember what this felt like. Remember how this made you
escape your troubles and your pain?
Here it is. And even the fact that David was
as willing to have Uriah, wait shows even the Relentless
patience of the enemy, the Relentless patience.
He he has no problem waiting. You know what's so amazing about
the world, the world has no problem being persistent and
inviting you to sin. Some of you have friends like
that. They once it comes to Friday
afternoon. You can almost prophesied.
Here comes the text message. What are you doing tonight, huh?
And they're just evangelist for worldliness.
So don't be ashamed. If you're consistent with people
to bring them to church, the world has no problem inviting
you into their scum. So here's David saying, why
don't you just wait a little longer and Uriah doesn't budge
again, you ride this in budget and so he to attempts and they
failed When are you gonna get it?
He's not, his heart has become so hardened.
Because remember that verse, right?
That if you don't feel the lord, always, you make yourself
available to a hardening of the heart.
And David here is just hardening it more and more.
And so he comes to another strategy.
He takes it up a notch, he has some kind of a feast and you
read it. He sees Uriah is like this
Great. Oak Tree deeply planted in the
convictions of God. He can't move it.
So he says, let's get him intoxicated.
Let's weakened his ability to reason and to make clear
judgments. and so he brings this man, and somehow just keeps
feeding him, keeps feeding him keeps feeding him, and this man
may be trying to be polite just indulges indulges indulges, and
to the point, where he loses sobriety, He loses sobriety.
And unfortunately David continues to illustrate how
Satan works and people's lives to get him into deeper sin, the
enemy knows the absolute value and strength that comes from
being sober minded. Being Sober.
Minded, you know why the Bible Absolutely discourages and
commands against any substance or behavior that would that
would tamper with clear-headedness.
Because God Champions self-control, he Champions
self-control and he wants you. And I to be a control at all
times, over our Behavior, our actions, our reactions,
everything. Because we are his ambassadors,
we represent him and there's an interesting verse and Hosea.
411, I've quoted this many times to explain some particular
behaviors in the Old Testament. And here I come again to Hosea
411. Here's what the prophet says you
guys doing, alright. That's not what the prophets
are. That's what I'm asking.
Hosea 4:11, you ready for this whoredom?
Wine and new wine. Which does what take it away
understanding. Horton.
Wine wine. Here's what Hosea is saying,
alcohol among other things. Rob's you one of the things that
robs you of, Is Judgment your ability to make precise and
clear actions. And that is a, that is an
indictment. That is a whoa for us to be
controlled by anything apart from the holy spirit of God.
He is the alternative. That's why Paul makes that
command and Ephesians 5. Right, you know what I find.
So interesting. The spirit of God Partners wine
with what whoredom. Whoredom promiscuity sensuality.
Isn't that interesting? I mean, not all the things that
you could put together, you include whoredom with wine and
there's a reason for that. The reason for that is because
lust itself has an intoxicating Factor That also like wine is
able to Cloud our judgment and make us make stupid decisions
lust. You know what's so amazing?
Here's a man who's trying to intoxicate his friend to make
him do something. Whereas he was Intoxicated by
lust just a few verses earlier and did what he was not supposed
to do. And so we talked about.
Yeah be sober with alcohol, a beast.
Don't do that. Don't smoke that don't take
those pills. Fine, that's wonderful.
But how often do we talk about being drunk with lust?
And what's one of the dangers of unbridled passions?
One of the dangers, is that you don't think clearly, you don't
think clearly. and so the proverb there and Proverbs 632
makes sense and Proverbs 6:32, we are told he who commits
adultery lacks sense. Lack sense.
In other words, they do not calculate or consider.
The effects of this decision. They don't consider the damage
that can be done and that's really what follows Proverbs
6:32. The consequences of such actions
and so, You and I have to be able to learn not to be Mastered
by these impulses that come and visit us no matter how strong
they are. You know what the world parrots.
Well, it's an instinct, it's human nature, when you feel it,
you should do it to relieve yourself and they equate.
That passion that desire on the same level as food and drink you
can survive without sex, you can't survive without food,
long-term or water. And so we have to understand
here, that there is a clear call to be warned about how when we
allow our imaginations to run rampant, you can actually come
to such a place you can cross a line just like having one extra
glass that takes you over where you now begin.
Lose your reasoning and you begin to make plans and schemes
and decisions and rendevouz that are absolutely dangerous.
Just like a car wreck. It's like a DUI.
Be careful, be careful and allow the Holy Spirit to bring control
in your life. And here is a man who tries to
get another man to come under a very similar influence that he
was under guess what? It doesn't work.
I need to see David's face as you write as stumbles.
He's like there it is. There it is.
Yeah. Go go go.
Go there go. There and just makes a U-turn
and goes right back to where he slept a couple nights before,
huh? What does it say about a man
that even when you're intoxicated?
Not that saying try it. God forbid that your convictions
are so solid soul. I can just like as iron anchor
that even when substances are pumped into your subconscious
tells you to stay committed. Fascinating to me.
And so this man doesn't move. Strike 3, David.
What are you going to do? Providence is knocking on your
door. Your cleverness is not working.
Do you think David slept that night?
That's what I wondered when I was thinking about this passage.
Do you think he, you think you just went to bed in just closed
his eyes? I don't think he slept a wink.
I think he tossed and turned. I think he tossed and turned.
Because you read something here in verse 14, in the morning,
David wrote a letter to joab and sent it by the end of Uriah.
whether he slept or not, we're not told but what we do know is
that he woke up early in the morning, Wrote a letter meaning.
Some kind of plan was conjured up as he was laying in that bed
and lows of midnight hours. And he did not hesitate to make
his move time was against him. and so he writes a letter and in
that letter was uriah's death, warrant, do you think David
thought about murder when he was scaling and walking on that
rooftop earlier in this chapter? You think murder came to mind.
Think, you know what? I'm going to sleep with
Bathsheba and if it goes wrong, I'm going to kill her husband.
No. Piece by piece.
That's how it works. One more Soul, another morsel
and another morsel, that's exactly what is happening here.
And it happened so fast. There was so much included in
his thinking that he didn't even consider where he was going.
And you read here in verse 15. What the letter said.
In the letter, he wrote Set Uriah in the Forefront of the
hardest fighting. And draw back from him that he
may be struck down and die. Looked, as I said is this the
same guy? Who went a man was hunting him
down, like an animal. Felt a prick in his heart when
he cut a piece of his robe. Is this the same guy?
Now he that same guy. Is taking one of his most
Faithful Men. and his signing a death sentence, puts it in his
hand, you ready for this and so trust in the Integrity of Uriah
That he would not open that letter between then and his
destination. Only for him to be killed.
Such is the potential of sin. When it is not dealt with early
on, it has the ability to warp that which was created in the
image of God and to make it into a hideous Beast.
That is worthy of great scorn. Sin can flip your world upside
down. Ken.
Jesus can for the good but sin for the worst and David sunk at
the such depths. That even took advantage of
uriah's. Sensitive conscience and
commitment. Again if I had the budget, I
think, if I had the budget and I could direct it, the scene would
be for a long time. Uriah, they're walking back to
the ranks with a smile on his face.
Holding his very death, warrant. And David scaling back to that
scene of David, just his feet on some desk, unmoved, twiddling,
his thumbs? Hoping that job would say yes to
that. Unbelievable.
But it's real. And here's what rushed through
my mind when I thought about Uriah walking back.
To his post integrity. Integrity.
It might get you killed. But it's better to die with
Integrity than to live without it.
Integrity. It might get you killed it,
might get you fired. You might lose that promotion.
You might not be invited to the biggest and best conferences.
Because you have conviction to the word of God.
You're not be liked or loved by people, you might be invited to
the events integrity. Might kill you.
But it's better to die with it. That's a live without it.
I pray that we would be men like Uriah.
And here's the thing, God can do such a work in you.
No matter your background, like Uriah, the hittite of all
people. To be a man of God, a woman of
God. I guess we're gonna have to wait
till next week to see what happens next.
You see? There's so much content left.
But we have enough meat to chew on tonight at the digest by the
grace of God. Shall we pray before we conclude
tonight? And as the worship team
positions himself, I don't want to pray while they're walking up
there. But just in your own Hearts,
whatever it was that touch your heart.
Maybe maybe. Maybe maybe.
Maybe tonight was even a providential push from the Lord
to get your attention in love. I say this, maybe you are
concealing sin or you're trying to continue in sin.
And the Lord is trying to get your attention before you head
towards decisions and situations that are unfathomable, just hear
the voice of the Lord through this Bible study and and Trust
the wisdom of God to end it. Now, to come before him and
people that you trust that you know won't judge you to say,
here I am, I'm broken here I am, I've been foolish.
Can you help me and trust that the Lord will help you trust
that God's people will help you If you are in this place and you
examine your heart racing by the grace of God, I can rejoice in
the season that I'm in. Oh praise God, for that and ask
God to keep you and to not let you be puffed up with pride and
to be low independent even more dependent than if you were
failing or if you felt yourself slipping.
Lord, we come before you tonight at this time, rejoicing in the
richness of your word, we thank you that it is surely alive and
it makes us come alive. And we do ask oh God that You
would help us in whatever season that we may be in for those who
are feeling the pull because they're on a rooftop somewhere.
And they're not supposed to be where they are.
And they sensed the strength of an invitation to go somewhere
where they never thought they would go Lord, let your voice be
louder than my voice on this microphone.
And for those who are strong and steady, we pray that you would
only reinforce that strength and that we would be all the more
serious about making sure that we do not fall.
Lord. Help us also believe, help us
also believe that you've given us everything we need.
According to Peter's words to never fall, you can keep us from
Scandal and betrayal. And pain, Lord.
You have given us what we need to be in Victory and we praise
you for that. And what we just praise you
through song. Now as we Rejoice over your
word, giving you glory and thanks that, you were the God
who cares for us. And you give us stories like
this to help us avoid crisis. We bless your name now and this
Friday evening in Jesus name we pray.
Amen. Shall We Stand?
Let's Stand Together. Worship God.
Shall We Stand? Let's Stand Together.
Worship God.